14 January 2015: Sam Kutesa, President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), briefed the body on his priorities for the remainder of the 69th session. Priorities included many aspects of the intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, and climate change.

Kutesa began the briefing, which took place on 14 January 2015, at UN Headquarters in New York, US, with an overview of the UNGA’s work in the first half of the 69th session, noting the decisions and resolutions of the Assembly’s five committees. Kutesa stressed the need for the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), which did not conclude its work in December 2014, to adhere to its programme of work when deliberations resume in March 2015.

On the post-2015 development agenda, Kutesa called on Member States to approach the intergovernmental negotiations with a positive and constructive spirit. He said that the success of the new agenda will be based on “our ability to match our ambitions with adequate means of implementation,” and looked forward to synergies with the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD 3). He also presented plans for three high-level debates on: means of implementation for a transformative post-2015 development agenda, on 9-10 February 2015; interactive hearings with civil society and the private sector on FfD 3, on 4-5 March 2015; and the demographic dividend and youth employment, in June 2015.

Kutesa said climate change is a key priority, and that he will convene a high-level event on 29 June 2015, to keep the momentum going ahead of the intergovernmental negotiations later this year. Kutesa called on Member States to consider ways to integrate disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change, and sustainability in the post-2015 development agenda. Kutesa also presented priorities regarding the Ebola crisis, cooperation with regional entities, promoting peace, and revitalizing and reforming the UN system. [UNGA President Statement]